Flashcards on Health Insurance and Claims Processing

Health Insurance & Claims Processing: A Student Guide

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What levels of alphanumeric characters can ICD-10-CM codes contain?

Three, four, five, six, or seven characters (letters and numbers).

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Medical Coding: ICD-10-CM Principles

65 cards

Card 1

Question: What levels of alphanumeric characters can ICD-10-CM codes contain?

Answer: Three, four, five, six, or seven characters (letters and numbers).

Card 2

Question: In the ICD-10-CM tabular list, what is the final level of subdivision called?

Answer: A code (the final level of subdivision is a code).

Card 3

Question: How are codes that have an applicable seventh character referred to in the tabular list?

Answer: They are referred to as codes (not subcategories) and are considered invalid without the seventh character.

Card 4

Question: For reporting purposes, which level(s) of ICD-10-CM classification are permissible to use?

Answer: Only codes (not categories or subcategories) are permissible for reporting purposes, and any applicable seventh character is required.

Card 5

Question: What character is used as a placeholder in ICD-10-CM to allow future expansion, and when must it be used?

Answer: The character 'X' is used as a placeholder and must be entered when a placeholder exists for the code to be valid.

Card 6

Question: Where must the seventh character always be located when required?

Answer: The seventh character must always be located in the seventh-character data field.

Card 7

Question: What should you do if a code requires a seventh character but is not six characters long?

Answer: Enter placeholder 'X' to fill in the empty character(s) so the seventh character occupies the seventh position.

Card 8

Question: Give an example of using an 'X' placeholder in an ICD-10-CM code.

Answer: Example: M48.46XS — the 'X' fills empty positions so the seventh character 'S' is in the seventh-character field.

Card 9

Question: What visual formatting indicates codes in the ICD-10-CM tabular list?

Answer: All codes in the ICD-10-CM tabular list are boldfaced.

Card 10

Question: Are categories and subcategories sufficient for reporting medical diagnoses?

Answer: No — for reporting you must use full codes (the final level) including any required seventh character; categories and subcategories alone are not acce